Improved rail wat-car couch



G. w. WILLIAMSON.

Railway Car Couch. No. 88,685. Patented April 6, 1869."

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G. WILLIAMSON, OF GQLDSBOROUGH, IENNSYLVANIA.

Letters 2mm: No. 88,685, dated April 6, 1869.

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The Schedule mfemadto in the-e Letters Patent and making part of the same.

. thefollowin g is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification. I This inventionrelates to an improved method of forming the seats of railroad-cars into beds, or berths for passengers, whereby they may be readily adjusted to the condition, of a bed by the application of astretcher, to be suspended fromthe backs of the seats, and extended from one seat to another, as will be heroin after described.

Figure .1 represents a longitudinal sectional I elevation of a car having my improvement attached to the seat;-

Figure 2 represents a plan view of the same; and

Figure 3 represents, also, in plan view, a modified arrangement of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents a stretcher, made of canvas, or any other suitable material, .and in suitable size and shape, to cover the space occupied by two, or any other number of seats, and the spaces between them, and provided at its ends with the straps B, or any other suitable means of attachment, to the backs of the seats. The plan pf attachment whichI have represented in this instance consists in the employment of books c',-suited 'to hook upon. the tops of the backs of the seats, and having straps and buckles, pendent from their lower ends, to admit of buckling the straps B thereto, after passing under the said backs ofthe seats, as shown infig. 1; but any other plan, which will confine the stretchers to the bottom of the backs of the seats, or in the angle formed by the said backs and the seats, as shown at D, in order-to prevent any weight, or pressure on the stretchers, over the spaces between the seats, from causing them to sag too much at that point, may be employed.

If the said stretchers are designed to form only a short bed for children, or small persons, they may extend over the space of twov seats only, as represented .in fig. 3; and again, if they be required to form a bed,

or couch for a child, and admit of persons attending it, as in the case of sickness, to sit in the same seats,

the stretcher may be folded, as represented in fig. 3.

But if required to be of greater length, the stretchers may be extended over the space of, three seats, or any other number, and the intervening seat-backs may be turned up into the position, represented in red, at E,

fig. 1, and while the stretchers are made long enough to cover three or more seats, they may be arranged to be applied to two seats only, by attaching the straps B, or other fastening-device at the right length, for

two seats, and be attached, to'form short beds, by

folding the surplus over.

By another arrangemenhthc stretchers may be made to only cover the spaces between the seats, and be attached to the arms F of the seats, or otherwise:

may be employed, in connection with sleeping-oars, as

other beds are.

Having thus described my invention,

1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The stretcher A, applied as described to the seats of railway-cars, whereby a longer or shorter bed is formed, substantially as herein set forth and shown.

The above specification of my inyention signed by me, this 27th day of November, 1868.

Witnesses: G. W. WILLIAMSON. FRANK BLooKLnY, ALEX. F. Bonnn'rs. 

